Rick Barnes to Jeremy Pruitt: Tennessee Vols 10 notable 2010s coaching hires

When it comes to hires working out, John Currie deserves a ton of credit for the Tony Vitello move. He got Tennessee baseball back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 for the first time in 14 years, and that has to count for something.

But on paper, Vitello wasn’t a clear-cut splash hire. Remember, he had never been a head coach before, so there are always questions that come with that. However, sometimes a coach’s qualifications as an assistant can be so great that it makes up for that lack of experience.

This is one of those times. One of the major issues with the previous two baseball hires, despite both of them having success elsewhere, is that one was far too brash and dictatorial and the other had no proof of his style working in the SEC.

Vitello, however, had experience working with players and coaches in the right way, and he had also spent four years as an assistant with the Arkansas Razorbacks, so his SEC chops were solid. Add in the fact that he played for the Missouri Tigers, who are now in the SEC, and he clearly had an understanding of what it takes to win in the league.

Because of the nature of evaluating talent and the MLB rules, it’s more important for a baseball coach to understand where he’s coaching than a football or basketball coach. As a result, this is one of the best Tennessee Vols hires. But his lack of experience as a head coach make this hire better in hindsight than it was on paper, which is why it’s No. 5.